Sunday, October 13, 2013

To Be a Fly on the Wall

Remember several years back when MTV had a show with the tagline, "You think you know, but you have no idea"? I think it was called "True Story".

Yesterday, I went to spend the morning at a knitting/crochet event. I opted to sit at a table with a younger woman and her older companion. Well, the younger woman (Tattoo Chick) was pregnant and talking to her friend (Purple Hair) about the upcoming baby shower. No big deal, didn't bother me at all. Tattoo Chick goes on to discuss how a mutual acquaintance of theirs had stopped speaking to them after their pregnancy announcement, but was now speaking to her and her boyfriend again. Turns out the mutual acquaintance has PCOS and has not been able to conceive a child. Tattoo Chick and Purple Hair proceed to go on an on about how it's this third woman's own fault she can't get pregnant. You know why? "Because all you have to do is go to the doctor."

Infertility has not been my struggle, but I do know it's a little (!) more involved than just going to the doctor. Overhearing this entire conversation just pissed me off, from start to finish. No wonder the friend stopped talking to Tattoo Chick. Tattoo Chick and Purple Hair also went on to say the friend probably wouldn't be a good mother, anyway. I, of course, don't know these two women or their "friend", but I could just as easily say that a woman with tattoos all over her arms, chest and neck with barbells hanging out of her nose isn't a good mother, either.

So here I am, sitting there with my pregnancy loss awareness ribbon on, stewing in my own juices. I felt bad for the friend, having to put up with these know-it-alls who are lucky enough to pop out babies like gum balls, telling her how easy it is to get pregnant.